


Chaos Theory

by Femvamp



Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: Angst, Explicit Language, F/F, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-26
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-04-26 00:00:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4981846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Femvamp/pseuds/Femvamp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chaos seemed to follow Piper everywhere she went. Like a butterfly flapping its wings Piper couldn't help the hurricane she caused. Story starts before the beginning of the series but figure spoilers until the end of the season so 1.13 Can't Fix Crazy.  This is one of my better stories I published on Fanficton.Net  I thought I would put it here as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Chaos Theory
> 
> Fandom: Orange Is the New Black
> 
> Pairing: Piper/Alex 
> 
> Spoilers: 1.13 Can't Fix Crazy
> 
> Disclaimer: Don't want to go to prison so I disclaim. I don't own this show. Don't own the characters on it.
> 
> Summary: Chaos seemed to follow Piper everywhere she went. Like a butterfly flapping its wings Piper couldn't help the hurricane she caused.

Chaos seemed to follow Piper Chapman everywhere she went. It wasn't something she planned or even wanted. Piper was like a butterfly flapping its wings that couldn't help the hurricane it caused. It started long before she was sent to prison. It started long before she met Alex Vause.

Piper Chapman was ten years old when she met Polly Harper, the girl who would later become her best friend. They went to the same school but didn't really know each other very well. Polly wasn't poor but her family didn't have the kind of money that Piper's family had which made her a target for the popular girls at school. Girls like Piper. However that day Piper had taken pity on Polly and had come to her aid which caused an altercation that nearly got both of them expelled.

Piper swears that she never meant to punch the other girl in the face.

Polly swears the girl deserved it.

After that day Piper and Polly were inseparable. Then they turned into teenagers and Polly started to date boys and soon Piper followed. Polly's relationships were always the kind you would expect from a girl in the suburbs while Piper's were anything but. Polly liked the nice and sweet ones and Piper dated the wild ones.

It drove her mother crazy.

College only fanned the flames for her. Now it wasn't just boys that she chased and chased her; it was girls as well. Every relationship she was in began and ended the same, it didn't matter if it was a boy or a girl. It always went the same way for Piper. It was like she was riding a roller coaster.

It was like she was flying.

Until she fell back down to the ground.

And she always fell down hard,

Then she met Alex Vause and her life changed forever. It sounded like a cliche to say that even to her but it was true. Meeting Alex changed her life. It wasn't just that Alex swept her off her feet, plenty of her lovers did that. It was something else. Something that Piper could never define. Whatever it was Piper liked it.

Piper craved it.

Alex didn't fear the chaos that seemed to stick to Piper like a well worn sweater; the exact opposite really. She consumed it like she consumed Piper. Mind, body and soul. There was nothing about Piper that Alex did't want to experience and in return she let Piper experience every part of her. Piper was no fool. She knew exactly what Alex did for a living. It was part of the thrill; part of the turn on. She also figured out early on in their relationship that Alex had intended to turn her into one of her mules but had changed her mind and had instead made her a girlfriend. Piper was irrationally proud of that.

Piper was never really able to tell anyone why she left Alex the way she did. She could never explain it in words even to herself. It wasn't the drug smuggling. It wasn't that Alex had asked her to smuggle drug money into the country; and that she had been horrible at it. It was something else she couldn't define.

The thrill wasn't there.

But the chaos was.

Because Piper could turn anything into chaos and before she knew it she had run out of Alex's life and back into the carefully constructed world of the suburbs where she thought she would be safe. Where she thought she could redefine herself.

That's when she met Larry Bloom,

Larry Bloom was everything Alex Vause wasn't.

Larry made Piper feel safe and secure and the chaos seemed to vanish from her life at least for the most part. There were always little bits of it. Small moments that exasperated Larry but he took it with good humor. He took it as part of her personality that he had to live with. He became the balm that calmed Piper.

He made her happy. He made her feel safe. It wasn't wild or crazy. It wasn't like riding a roller coaster every day. Piper found herself redefining herself and liking what she was finding. She liked looking into Larry's eyes and seeing the image of herself that he saw even though she knew deep down it was a lie. She wanted to be that person and she was determined to be that person.

Then everything went to Hell.

Because when a butterfly flaps its wings a hurricane will always happen somewhere in the world. It may not happen right away but it will happen.

The day Piper Chapman left Alex Vause one hell of a storm began.


	2. Chapter 2

Piper wondered if Doggett had been right. Was she unworthy of anyone's love? Was that why she had ended up alone sitting on a cold concrete floor? Piper was back in SHU for who knows how long this time. Everything had happened so quickly. One moment she had been standing outside getting some fresh air and the next she was standing over the prone and bloody body of Doggett.

Everything had gone bad so quickly. Everything seemed to crash down around her all at once. Like a hurricane tearing through her life. It all happened so damn quickly.

Both Larry and Alex were gone now. They had both finally had enough of her shit. Piper wasn't sure if she could blame them. Larry had never been one for the crazy life. He wanted nice and simple and her life was anything but simple. Alex on the other hand wanted something from her that Piper couldn't put her finger on. Something that she wasn't sure she could give. She wasn't sure she was capable of giving.

Or maybe Piper really was just full of it.

Piper stared at her stitched up hands and thought back at the moments that led to the night she had become a monster. The last she had heard Doggett was barely alive and they weren't sure she was going to make it. If she died Piper wasn't sure what they would do with her. She wasn't sure what they would do if Dogett lived. Piper wasn't sure she cared either way.

It didn't matter anymore.

Piper knew she had finally gone too far

Piper had no idea how long they would keep her locked up in SHU. They hadn't told her. Then again they hadn't told her the first time either but she was certain that this time would be more than a couple of days. This time they had a good reason; a real reason.

She had caused her own problems since entering Litchfield. Her mouth had gotten her into more then her fair share of problems but Piper had managed to get out of most of them. She had managed to patch things up with Red and Polly had forgiven her for messing up the meeting with Barney's. Everything was starting to fit into place. She was starting to fit in and even make friends. Then Larry had to start writing articles about her in prison and do that stupid interview and then things started to get out of hand for her again.

Piper stood up when the slot of the door opened and a tray of food came through. She knew she had to eat some of it regardless of how horrible it tasted. It would do no good if she starved to death. Piper sat back down and stared at the food before she took a peice of what looked like cornbread but was actually meat and stuffed it in her mouth and swallowed it without chewing. She continued doing that until all the food was gone trying desperately not to gag or throw up.

She would survive this like she survived everything else. Whatever she thought prison was she had been wrong. This was what prison was. It was waiting. It was staring at nothing. It was feeling useless and helpless and knowing it was all your fault.

Except this time it wasn't all her fault.

It had begun with that stupid WAC election. Piper knew that she shouldn't have won that election. No one voted for her. Hell, she hadn't even voted for herself. She had done as she was told and voted for Morello. Doggett had been right in at least that,. She had every right to see conspiracy. She just saw the wrong conspiracy. It had been Healy at the heart of that one.

He had been at the center of that storm.

Piper and Alex had just been the ones to make it worse. They turned a storm into a hurricane. Playing with the mind of a mentally unstable woman like Doggett had been cruel. Doggett was no innocent but even she didn't deserve what they had done to her.

Piper walked over to the bed that had no mattress, pillow, or sheet and laid down trying to get some sleep. She had no idea what time it was but she suddenly felt tired. She knew that in SHU they never turned out the light. She had no idea if there was an actual reason for it or if they did it just as another form of punishment, another form of cruelty. It didn't matter though. Piper was too tired to care.

She closed her eyes and dreamed of Alex.

They had been together for only a short time when they had their first fight. It had been a horrible fight with yelling and screaming. They had said some terrible things to each other. Piper had left the flat in Paris they had been living in at the time and had gone to the nearest pub to get drunk. She had accused Alex of cheating on her. She knew that Alex slept with some of her mules and had been fine with that. It was part of the business. What had pissed her off was that she had taken one of the girls to dinner and had wined and dined her. That was girlfriend behavior.

Fucking was ok.

Dating was not.

But it worked both ways, Piper was allowed to fuck anyone she wanted as long as she was careful and didn't bring anyone home with her.Piper spent the next five hours in the club dancing with each and every man and woman there. She knew she could go home with any one of them. She knew it would make her feel better in the short run but in the long run it would only make her feel worse.

All she wanted was Alex.

And that really pissed her off.

Finally Piper staggered her way back into their flat barely standing she was so drunk. Alex was pacing in the hallway talking to someone on the phone when she noticed Piper walk in. It took Piper a moment to realize she was not alone.

"Where have you been?" Alex asked angrily. "I've been worried."

"Out." Piper said trying to remain standing.

"You're drunk." Alex said simply.

"I think we'll be going now."

That was when Piper noticed that there were more than a few people in the flat. Alex had pulled out all the stops. There were at least a dozen people in the flat. Several Piper recognized as Alex's drug connections. Alex must have been really worried about her if she called these people.

Neither Piper or Alex said anything until everyone had left the flat. Even then they both remained quiet. Piper just stared at Alex still angry at her and yet wanting nothing more than to be in her arms.

"Did you fuck anyone tonight?" Alex asked finally.

Piper felt the anger well up inside of her. She wanted to attack. She wanted to make Alex hurt like she was still hurting but then she looked in to Alex's eyes and saw that she was.

"No."

"Because I would understand if you did."

Piper pushed Alex against the wall and reveled in the lustful look she saw on Alex's face, "I want to fuck you tonight."

Piper woke with a start when she heard a banging on the door as the slot opened for another meal. Was it breakfast? Had she managed to sleep for that long of a time? Piper stood up and walked to the door and took the tray again. The food once again looked horrible but again there was no point in starving.

Piper sat down on her bed with her breakfast and sighed. After that night in Alex's flat the rules had changed between them slightly. Alex still had sex with her mules but began introducing Piper around as her girlfriend. Everyone knew that she was taken. Everyone started treating Piper like any other wife of someone in Alex's position.

That had been ten years ago. It had taken ten years for her to go from the girlfriend of a drug importer to the fiancee of an unemployed journalist and now she was a convicted felon doing time for a drug offense and now a violent one as well. This was what her life had finally come down to.

All the choices in her life had come down to this.

And Piper had the distinct impression she had only reached the eye of the storm.


	3. Chapter 3

Piper had never known fresh air could feel so good. Morello told her that she had been in SHU for six weeks. Piper didn't know what to make of that. Time had a way of playing with your head when you were in SHU and Piper wasn't ready to deal with the ramifications of how long she had been in there. Morello talked the short drive to the housing unit and informed her that Red still had not gotten back her kitchen and had fallen into despair. The Spanish crew who were running the kitchen now were starving her out which Morello didn't find funny at all and neither did PIper. It was weird Piper should have found some sort of poetic justice in it but she found none. She actually wanted to help Red and didn't really understand why. Maybe it was because she had finally found a place in the group or maybe she just wanted Red back in the kitchen where she belonged.

Piper wanted to ask about Alex but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She didn't want to know the answer. She didn't want to know if Alex was fucking Nichols. She didn't want to know if Alex still hated her. She didn't want to know if Alex had been worried about her at all.

"Vause had been climbing the walls for weeks waiting for you to get out of SHU." Morello said looking back at her for a second, "Are you two fucking again?"

"We had a fight?" Piper said simply.

"Is that why you pounded Doggett's ass?" Morrello asked, "Not that she didn't deserve it. Everyone knew she was coming after you,"

"Is she..." Piper didn't want to know the answer to that question either.

"Last I heard the crazy bitch is still alive. Maybe she really is touched by God." Morrello laughed under her breath like she said something funny, "Here we are home sweet home. I think Caputo wants to see you."

Piper got out of the van and headed for the main building. She was stopped a few times by well wishers who were glad to see her out of SHU. It was odd to be around so many people again after so long a time alone. Piper eventually did make her way to Caputo's office and knocked on his door and waited for permission to enter.

Caputo's office was like all the other offices in the prison. It was small and functional without any of the things that most offices had or at least it appeared that way to Piper. For all she knew he kept his stapler and hole puncher in his desk drawer so that a dangerous felon like her could not get at it to attack him. There was still the matter of the pen and the letter opener in plain view. Piper was a little worried that it took her less than a second to clock two methods of murdering someone so quickly after walking into his office but then shook the thought out of her head.

"Have a seat Chapman."

Piper sat down in one of the two chairs in front of Caputo's desk. Caputo was reading through what looked like a file and Piper realized it was hers. She wondered what it said. A part of her really wanted to read it. Was it a dry telling of her original crime or did it tell the more complicated version of it? What about what happened with Doggett? Was it just about the fight or did it tell about the events leading up to it? Piper really wanted to read her file.

"You are being charged with aggravated assault on Tiffany Doggett. Your mother has hired you an attorney. I will make note to allow you to see him whenever it becomes necessary. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes. I made a request to have another councilor?"

"Oh right." Caputo looked at her file again, "Until further notice I will be your councilor. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No sir." Piper said simply.

"Then you may go. Your lawyer has made an appointment to see you during the next visiting day, which is tomorrow."

Piper just nodded and stood up to leave the office as she was about to open the door to leave Caputo looked up from the file again. "Mr. Healy will be on vacation for several weeks but he will be back. I won't have any problems from you will I?"

"As long as I don't have to deal with him you won't."

"He still works here and you are still an inmate."

Piper looked at Caputo and realized that he knew exactly what Healy had done and was covering it up. The last thing that the prison needed was a scandal. There had been too many already. Larry's article and the interview he had given had caused enough problems for them and they were worried that she would cause more. Piper knew she had a unique opportunity here she could make a difference but only a small one.

Piper realized that she wasn't afraid for herself. This time she would fight the charges. She knew what she wanted and she would get it. This time she knew what she was doing and she knew how to play the system and this time she would play it.

"I was thinking that maybe it was unfair that Red lost her kitchen. All these guard mistakes and all; maybe one of them happened to Red."

Piper tried not to smile when she saw the surprise and then understanding in Caputo's eyes. He hadn't expected that but he recovered quickly, "Maybe you are right. I will look into it. I can't promise anything."

Piper just nodded and walked out of the office.

Piper didn't see Alex again until dinner. She spent most of the day calling her parents and her lawyer who told her she might be facing up to 20 years in a maximum security but he thought that since she didn't actually use a weapon that he could get the charges dropped down to simple assault which meant she would only face 5 years. Seeing Alex brought an unexpected wave of nausea to Piper. She had been preparing herself for this moment thinking of the perfect thing to say but now that the moment was here she had no idea what that was. Finally Alex just looked at her and handed her a tray and smiled Piper at least took that as a good sign.

They sat down together, neither of them speaking. The table was filled with the usual crowd. All of them welcomed Piper back. Big Boo even bumped fists with her. Piper just smiled and took all the welcomes and congratulations as they were meant. These were her friends now and they probably would be for longer than she initially thought. They all talked happily like friends do. Piper found herself enjoying the company and the conversations. She periodically looked over at Alex and each time she did she saw that Alex was staring at her. It made her nervous. Finally everyone finished eating and got up to clear their trays.

Piper wasn't sure what to do next. She had lost her bed assignment with Taystee and hadn't been given a new one yet. She was stuck in a dorm and had been given a room with three new inmates who were still in orange jumpsuits. She had looked at Bennett who had shown her to the room and just scowled at him. He had smiled at her and then walked away. Piper didn't want to return to her room after dinner so instead followed Alex to the rec room and just stood there knowing that she had something to say. Alex sat down in one of the chairs at the checker board.

"Are we going play or not?" Alex asked simply.

"I don't know are we?" Piper asked not taking the bait.

They both knew they weren't talking about checkers but neither of them wanted to admit it. Neither wanted to say what they wanted to say.

"Why don't we play for something real?"

Like what?" Piper sat down finally,

All the books she had read before coming to prison had said not to gamble. It was dangerous. It was for fools and got you in trouble but this was Alex and she had the distinct impression they weren't playing for money or commissary. Then again that is what made it dangerous.

"You win, I forgive you no questions asked and we fuck in the chapel."

Piper raised her eyebrow, "And if you win?"

"I don't forgive you and I fuck you in the chapel anyway."

Piper smiled at Alex and knew that she had forgiven her even if she had refused to admit it. She would never admit it. Alex would remain strong, it was who she was. If Piper won her case and got to stay at Litchfield things might be different between the two of them but for now a simple fuck between friends was enough.

It was enough for now.

"Deal."

Piper smiled either way she had won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I love OITNB I think one of its major weaknesses is that all or most of the inmates are portrayed as innocent victims of the system. I much prefer to portray them as sneaky criminals who will game the system at any opportunity and yet are willing to come to each others aid when necessary especially when they view that person as a friend or ally.


	4. Chapter 4

Her eyes clenched tight with her head on Alex's shoulder, Piper tried desperately to keep quiet. They had nearly been caught too many times. Piper was usually very vocal and keeping her quiet had become quite a turn on for Alex. It had become a turn on for both of them. Alex slipped a third finger inside Piper and once again began stroking her clit. Alex smiled when she heard Piper moan.

"Oh God!"

"Shh Baby."

This time they were having sex in the showers, They had nearly been caught the day before by Sister Ingalls and thought it was best to find a new place to fuck. Alex had brought up the library but neither of them wanted to risk getting caught by Taystee. They would never live that one down.

Alex started to thrust her fingers inside Piper setting a rhythm she knew would make Piper want to scream. Just because they needed to stay quiet, didn't mean she was going to make it easy, again that was part of the fun. Alex moaned herself when she felt one of Pipers legs around her waist.

Alex continued to thrust even faster. Alex knew that Piper was about to cry out so she kissed her roughly banging Piper's head against the wall of the shower as she came. They kissed for a moment; far shorter than either of them liked but after a moment Alex pulled away staring into her eyes, turned on the shower dousing Piper with lukewarm water and then silently walked to her own shower.

Piper just turned around and grabbed her body wash. The other inmates would be waking up soon. This was always the best time to shower anyway.

Piper smiled as she grabbed a piece of bacon. Red had been given back her kitchen three days ago and everyone was still gossiping about it. Prison tended to be like a high school in that way. Everyone was wondering why and what Red was going to do to the Spanish crew considering that they had spent the last several months starving her out. So far she had done nothing.

That in itself was worrying people.

Piper knew she could clear things up but she had other things on her mind. Her hearing was coming up in a few days and she was more nervous than she cared to admit. She had spoken to her lawyer a few times and had told him about the missing tapes and he had said that they could use that. It was a bluff of course. If the tapes ever actually surfaced they would do more harm for her case than good. The fact that the tapes had disappeared was actually a good thing and had made the opposing lawyer more than willing to drop the aggravated assault charge. She was now only being charged with assault but he still wanted to move her to Max and charge her with first degree but her lawyer said it would probably be second degree which meant she would face 5 years.

She was hoping he could keep her out of Max.

That was the point of contention between the two lawyers and Piper wasn't sure her lawyer would win. Piper had spent days getting her friends to send letters to her lawyer saying that Doggett had been coming after her; that everyone had known it. She had even convinced Larry to lie and write a letter saying she had told him the same thing. Her mother had even gotten her friends to write letters saying what a nice girl she was. Piper had actually cried when she had found out what her mother had done. It was strange after all these years and a felony conviction to finally realize that your mother did love you.

Now it was only a few days until her hearing and she was nervous as hell. To make matters worse both Doggett and Healy were back at Litchfield. Doggett had just gotten out of SHU. She had spent a month there after getting out of the hospital. Healy had come back around the same time. Both had been avoiding her but Piper didn't know how long that would last.

"Can you believe that Chapman? The crazy bible bitch spent a month in SHU and you got six weeks." Nichols said as she stuffed her face full of eggs.

"Yeah well I don't think they wanted to make her any more crazy." Big Boo laughed, "And you know what SHU does to a person."

"Hey we've all been there." Yoga Jones said simply.

"You've been in SHU?" Piper asked Yoga Jones genuinely surprised.

Yoga Jones laughed, "Early on in my sentence I got my hands on some hootch and well..."

Everyone laughed. It wasn't exactly common knowledge that Yoga jones was a drunk but it was still funny and the idea of the calm and centered Jones in SHU was surreal. Piper just smiled at the group thankful for the distraction. Everyone was busy talking and laughing so they didn't notice someone from the kitchen staff walk up to their table.

"Hey Murphy. What's up." Nichols asked cheerfully.

"Red wants to see Chapman in the kitchen."

"What for?" Alex asked warily.

"It's ok Alex. I was done anyway" Piper smiled at Alex.

Piper stood up ignoring everyone's questioning gaze and carried her tray as she went and stored it before she followed Murphy to the kitchen where Red was clearing up the breakfast meal. Murphy didn't bother to wait and went on with her duties and Piper just stood there waiting for Red to acknowledge her.

"I don't understand you Blondie. You say and do stupid things and yet I do not think you are so stupid." Red looked at her closely. "You give me back my kitchen. Why?"

Piper paused for a moment contemplating her answer, "I am going to be here longer than anticipated and I will need friends not enemies. And regardless of our history I consider you a friend."

"That is all?"

"I am not stupid Red." Piper paused, "Naive maybe. Stupid no. You make a good friend."

Red just nodded. "Go now." Piper turned to leave but before she did. "Your case, do you think you will win?"

"Win is a strong word." Piper said simply, "I will not lose."

"You are learning Blondie." Red paused, "Not so naive anymore, I think."


	5. Chapter 5

Piper was not really surprised when she found out that Mendez would be the one accompanying her to the hearing. Shortly after breakfast she was brought to a small room and told to wait there. Her civilian clothes had been approved and Bennett would bring them in and she would be allowed to change before being chained.

The hearing was just a formality according to her lawyer. Unless something went horribly wrong Piper would be given five years for second degree assault and then be moved back to Litchfield.

"Now I don't want any problems out of the two of you. Behave."

Piper turned around and saw Doggett being shoved into the small holding room by Mendez. She was wearing civilian clothes and actually looked nice in them, Who knew a hillbilly meth-head religion freak cleaned up so well?

"What the hell is she doing here?" Doggett asked angrily when she noticed Piper in the room.

"Same thing you are." Mendez said simply, "Sentencing hearing. Don't want to waste a trip so we are moving you together.. Oh Bennett wanted me to give you this. Your clothes, You have ten minutes to change and then you will be searched."

"With her in here?" Piper asked.

"Hey I'm not the Lesbo."

"That's not what I am worried about." Piper shot back.

"I don't care. Work it out. Fight it out. Fuck it out. Just put the damn clothes on by the time I get back." Mendez said as he shut the door behind him locking them both inside.

Piper stood there for a minute contemplating her choices. She knew that Mendez wasn't joking; he'd be back in ten minutes and if she didn't change by then he'd force her to go to court in her prison clothes and she didn't want to do that. Piper looked at Doggett who was standing at a distance.

"How much time are you going to get?" Piper asked as she started to change.

"What?" Doggett asked surprised at the conversation.

"How much time?"

"Why do you care?"

"Curious."

Doggett contemplated that and after a moment leaned against one of the far away walls, "My lawyer says he can get me three years if I plead guilty."

"Shit. He does know you came after me with a shiv, right?"

"I was on a holy mission to save your soul."

"Right. There is that."

"And you did attack me well after I was incapacitated."

"Good point."

"And then there is the matter of Healy." Doggett smiled through her dirty stained teeth, "That guy really doesn't like you."

Piper laughed as she finished putting on her clothes, "No, he doesn't."  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Five years she had gotten.

That was exactly what she had expected but it still hurt like hell to hear the judge say those words. He had said other words as well. Something about this being Piper's last chance. He made a threat about throwing the book at her if she ever showed up in his court again. Piper just nodded and "yes sir'd" him.

Five years.

That was a good deal longer than her initial fifteen month sentence but it was better than twenty. The judge had remanded her back to Litchfield which was a relief.. Piper didn't think she could survive Maximum security; not to mention 5 years without Alex.

After the hearing she had been moved to a holding cell with a bunch of other prisoners many of whom were awaiting trial on petty beefs. As Piper walked into the jail cell she noticed the reaction of many of the people inside. It was strange. She knew immediately which ones had been in jail before and she could tell the ones who were sizing her up.

Was this a survival skill she had picked up in Litchfield?

Piper found a spot to sit on the hard wood bench and just ignored the others and wondered briefly how Doggett had faired.

"Hey Chapman. Long time no see.", Piper jumped up thinking it might be Doggett or one of her cronies and got ready to pounce, "Wo, girl peace! Hey its me, Mercy."

"Wait Tricia's Mercy?" Piper asked and then regretted bringing up the name.

"Yeah." Mercy smiled, "I thought you might have been one of the people who made it out and stayed out. What happen?"

Piper smirked, "Never made it out. Still got a year left on my sentence. You remember Doggett?"

"Meth head Jesus freak who popped that abortion nurse?"

"Yeah that's her." Piper paused "She killed someone?"

"Shit yeah." Mercy said seriously, "That girl is crazy and dangerous. So what about her?"

"She tried to shiv me and I beat her into a coma."

"Shit." Mercy pause, "Didn't realize you were crazy and dangerous."

Piper just laughed, "What about you?"

Mercy smiled, "The usual. Good news is I'll be going back to Litchfield . I'll be going back home."

Piper nodded. She wondered how long it would be before she would consider the prison home and then she realized the horrible truth.

She already did.


	6. Chapter 6

Piper was sent back to Litchfield on a prison bus with a group of other women. Sitting on the bus chained to her seat Piper wondered if this was yet another wonderful experience she could check off her bucket list of prison experiences you just have to try. The woman sitting next to her looked terrified and Piper realized that this was her first time. Most of the others had a bored look on their face like this was all just routine to them. Piper wondered if she had that same look on her face.

Piper wanted to warn the woman but thought better of it. It was best she learned the same way Piper did. Besides there was a chance she would take any act of friendship the wrong way. It was best to just keep her mouth shut.

Doggett had been put on the bus last minute and she didn't look happy. Piper wondered how her case went. Her lawyer had promised her a relatively short sentence, a good deal shorter than Piper herself had gotten and now Piper wondered if that had all been a lie or if something else had happened. Then again maybe Doggett was just her usual pissed off self.

When the prison bus arrived at Litchfield Piper was happier than she should have been to see the looming building. She had missed Alex and wanted to tell her how things had gone. Piper had made some decisions while sitting there listening to the judge call her a criminal and had made some more sitting in the holding cell waiting for the bus to arrive to take her back to Litchfield. Mercy had been right, Litchfield was home, but not for the reason she thought. It was home because Alex was there.

Alex was her home.

She had been a fool to think otherwise.

Piper knew that they were still having sex, but she knew the different kinds of sex Alex had. There was a particular kind of sex she had with her mules that got everyone off but held no emotional connection for her. That was the kind of sex she had been having with Alex as of late. Piper knew the other kind of sex. She knew they couldn't have long drawn out love making that lasted through the night and into the morning. That wasn't possible in a prison; but she didn't just want a cheap fuck either.

Not anymore.

"Hey. I hear you are in for murder." One of the women sitting across the isle shouted to Piper as the bus pulled into Litchfield and into the main area that held the intake building.

Piper just looked over at the woman. She recognized her as one of the women from the holding cell she was in who had been sizing her up. Piper had been about to respond but someone beat her to it. Piper turned her head to see Mercy sitting a few rows behind her.

"Yeah she is," Mercy laughed, "And the girl she killed is sitting right next to me."

Everyone laughed, except for Doggett who grumbled angrily. Piper knew then it wasn't over between the two of them.

\-------------------------------

No one was particularly happy to see Mercy. Then again, no one was ever really happy to see someone again when they left the prison. It didn't mean they weren't glad to see them. Added to that, everyone was still hurting over Tricia, including Mercy.

Big Boo kept her distance out of respect but Piper saw that she wanted to say hello. Finally Piper led Big Boo over to Mercy and they just stared at each other for a moment and then hugged. That was all that was needed and then Big Boo went off to her business. She had Little Boo to take care of after all.

Piper was still living in the four room dorms and was happily surprised to have Mercy as a new roommate. It was better than the last group she had. There was no telling how long they would keep her here. She had the distinct impression this was Healy's doing and his last way of showing her he had at least some power over her.

Soon after she had gotten back to the prison, Piper had been called into a meeting with Caputo to discuss her new sentence. It was mostly a formality but he was there to make sure she understood that it was five years on top of the fifteen months that she already had. It was possible she would spend the next six and half years in prison.

Piper had nodded and asked about her bed assignment. Caputo said he would work on it but it might take a few months. That's when she knew she had been right and Healy was flexing his muscles and keeping her in the dorms.

After that she was determined to find Alex to talk. There was so much she wanted to say to the woman. There was so much that needed to be said. A lifetime of bad decisions and regret but when she found her alone in the laundry room Piper's mind just went blank, Finally she pulled Alex into a dark corner of the room and began to kiss her.

"You want to have sex here?" Alex pulled away from Piper with a strange look in her eyes.

"No." Piper paused for a moment and looked into Alex's eyes and made sure to show clear intent to her ,"I want to make you mine in here. I want all of you."

"Piper?"

"You belong to me Alex." Piper kissed Alex on the lips again and then removed her own shirt, "I own you."

She knew saying this while taking off her own shirt would cause two very different reactions in Alex. It would piss her off and turn her on both at the same time. This is exactly what she was aiming for.

"You are mine." Piper removed her bra so she was completely topless and saw Alex's eyes dilate but Alex didn't move. She was frozen in place so Piper took Alex's hands and placed them on her breast and as she did she spoke again, "And I am yours."

"Piper?" Alex spoke again but this time her voice was near a whisper.

"Shut up Alex and fuck me." Piper smiled, "But only me. I don't share anymore." With Alex's hands still on her breasts Piper began to nip at Alex's earlobe and whispered, "I don't share you with anyone. You belong to me. Now fuck me like you mean it."

That is when Alex came to her senses and smiled the look that always made Piper wet with need. She removed her hands from Piper's breast traced them downward until they reached Piper's pants. Piper was surprised when she heard Alex speak,

"Say you chose me."

"I chose you."

Piper smiled as Alex slipped her hand into her underwear but then moaned when she felt fingers rub against her nub. Alex slid two fingers inside of Piper and kissed her harshly to keep Piper from screaming out. This would be a fast fuck. They didn't have time for anything else but it would be what they both needed. It was what they had both needed for some time. It was more about the words than the actual fucking. They would talk more later as well.

They had six years to talk.

Neither of them were going anywhere.


	7. Chapter 7

It didn't take long for Piper to end up back in SHU. She didn't think she would be there for very long this time though. Doggett and her followers would not say anything against her and Red wasn't a rat.

Piper was sure it had been Healy who had egged Doggett on. They had been quite cosy since both Piper and Doggett had gotten their extended sentences. She had gotten three years like she thought so Piper didn't know why she was so pissed off. The only thing that made sense was Healy's influence because every time Piper saw her or any of her followers she was sure her life was in danger.

Now that the shit had hit the fan, Piper had been put back in SHU for everyone's safety. At least that was the line she had been given. The truth was that Caputo had no idea what to do with her. No one was talking, not even Doggett who had nothing to gain no matter what she said and she knew it.

The funny thing was that the plan to get her should have worked. It was probably a tried and true method of assassination in prisons; shanking someone while they are naked and in the shower. Doggett had even brought backup with her this time. It should have worked. Piper knew that she should have been dead. That's what made the whole thing so damn funny.

Red and Murphy had walked into the showers at exactly the right time to see the wrong thing; or the right thing depending on your reasoning. Piper was sitting in the middle of the room, still naked, on top of the prone and unconscious body of Doggett. Her friends and supposed backup were out cold as well. That is when Piper had done something truly extraordinary. She had stood up, grabbed her things and just walked out, still naked past Red and just nodded at her.

Red had nodded back.

Eventually she was called to Caputo's office, Healy was already sitting there with a smug look on his face like he had won even though she was still alive. Piper knew he wanted her to know he held all the power. It was time for that to change. It really was time for him to die. Piper looked on at both of them with practiced indifference as Healy accused her of attacking Doggett but when Piper asked him for proof he had none. The only proof he had was that she was attacked at the same time she was known to take her morning shower.

Piper insisted she overslept. No one could prove otherwise.

Piper knew that by the time she got out some cracked out version of what happened would have made the rounds. It didn't matter that Doggett had slipped on the piece soap that Piper had eventually shoved in her mouth. That Piper had pushed her out of instinct and she had knocked into one of her disciples. Piper wasn't sure herself how it happened but one of them got hit over head and she was sure a shank came into play somewhere. Hell she couldn't tell the story if she tried; not that anyone would believe her. It was like watching a cartoon while smoking dope. Really weird and a little confusing.

The truth was, Piper hadn't actually landed a blow until they were all out cold. It was only then did she jump on top of Doggett with the soap. She couldn't tell you why she did it. Probably the same reason she had punched her face bloody the first time. Fear. self preservation and anger are interesting things. Piper knew no one would believe the truth so she decided just to go with whatever story Red decided to tell. She'd find out when she got out of SHU. She had been sent there until everything got sorted out so it could be a couple of days or a couple of months.

She had been handcuffed by Bennett and then dragged to SHU. The funny thing was that she was in the same cell they had put her in the first two times. Piper thought she might just put up some curtains for the next time; because of course there would be a next time.

Piper had been in prison for a year and had spent nearly half that time in solitary.

She wondered if that was a record.

She had been in prison for a year.

Damn!

She'd be getting out about now if she hadn't beat the ever loving shit out of Doggett. Instead she seemed to be on constant merry-go-round of prank wars and revenge fantasies with her and her merry band of zealots. At least she was winning. If you could call getting thrown into SHU, "winning."

Piper tried exercising to keep her mind off the realization that she'd been in prison a year. She started with sit-ups and moved on to pushups. That worked for a while but eventually the food came and so did the dark thoughts.

She'd be marrying Larry soon.

It wouldn't have been so bad a life even if she didn't exactly love him. She did like him. He was a good man and he'd be a good husband and father. Piper wondered what he was doing. Did he find another girl?

Piper hoped he did.

He deserved to be happy.

Piper ate her food; every last bit of it. It tasted as bad as she remembered but she had no intention of showing weakness. She couldn't afford to. Not if she wanted to deal with Healy and Healy needed to be dealt with.

She wondered if she should go to Red.

She sure as hell wasn't going to go to Alex.

Alex needed to be kept out of this. This was not her fight. Piper knew that if she messed this one up not only would she be sent to Max she could be sent to death row. Piper snickered under her breath and then just laughed out loud.

"How far you've come, Piper Chapman."

Killing a cop.

How far you've come.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final Chapter

Piper Chapman wasn't a criminal.

She had spent the majority of her life on the right side of the law. She had done the right thing. She had gotten good grades in school. She had gone to a good college. For all intents and purposes Piper Chapman should have lived a fairly typical upper middle class life.

Was it Alex Vause who had changed that? Piper wasn't so sure anymore, Alex had never lied to her about what she did for a living so Piper could never plead ignorance. Even from the beginning she had known the truth. It had been part of the attraction between them

Piper had always liked the bad ones.

Alex had been a bad girl.

Still. Alex had treated her better than anyone she had ever dated before. Even though Alex was most definitely a criminal it had never really touched Piper in any meaningful way. It had always been abstract.

And things were always better in the abstract,

Alex had told her that once.

Once Alex's world had actually touched her in a very real way things had begun to fall apart because Piper Chapman wasn't a criminal. She was just no good at it. She didn't have the stomach for it. She didn't have the nerves for it.

She fucked it up but good.

It took them ten years and Alex ratting her out to find her.

But when they sent her to prison it became evident again that Piper Chapman wasn't a criminal. She didn't have the mind for it. She didn't understand how they thought. Why they did the things they did. Why they reacted the way they reacted. Little comments she made; mistakes that seemed trivial escalated out of control.

Things escalated so quickly.

Before she knew it a fifteen month sentence had turned into six years. She had beaten someone into a bloody pulp. It was all so surreal. The anger had built up inside of her so quickly. She still didn't know where it came from. It had felt like an out of body experience. If you asked her about it she would tell you that someone else had done it because it couldn't have been her.

Piper Chapman wasn't a criminal.

Everything and nothing had changed after that. Nothing really changed at Litchfield. Everything went on as it always did but everyone looked at her differently. They were more wary of her now. It was like one extreme act of violence had changed her status in the prison. No one knew what she was going to do next.

She wasn't sure herself.

Especially once Doggett and Healy returned to the prison.

Then things really got crazy and Doggett tried to kill her again and probably would have succeeded except for some crazy random luck but it was enough to make Red think that Piper was some super muscle. Piper was pretty sure she believed that she had been Alex's muscle in the good old days and Alex had done nothing to change her mind.

It had worked to their advantage in the negotiations.

It hadn't taken Alex long to figure out that Piper had been planing Healy's death but instead of trying to stop her it had been Alex who had come up with a workable plan. Alex had always been smart like that. Alex had always been a very good criminal.

It was kind of scary.

It was kind of a turn on.

The only thing both Piper and Red had insisted on was that Piper be the one to kill Healy. Alex had wanted to but Red had insisted it be Piper. Piper hadn't understood why at first but later she figure it out.

Red had never really trusted her because Piper Chapman wasn't a criminal.

Piper waited in the kitchen as Red and Murphy finished disposing of Healy's body. Killing him had been easier than she thought it would be. It should have been difficult. Getting him alone hadn't been hard. She knew she should have been ashamed of herself for seducing him like that but it was his own damn fault.

Stupid man with a lesbian fixation. He should have known better because girls like her never went for sad and pathetic men like him. He had gone there thinking he had finally convinced Piper it was in her best interest to hook up with him. She didn't think he ever even saw the shank in her hand before she stabbed him with it.

She wondered if she should have felt sorry for him.

He really was a sad and pathetic little man.

Piper looked over at Alex as one of Red's food trucks headed out of the prison carrying what was left of Healy's body. She knew there would be an investigation into Healy's disappearance and she would be a suspect but with no body and no evidence she was hoping there would be no charges. Either way both she and Alex had made their choices. They had made their deals with the devil.

Alex would open up her business to the Russians. She'd make her introductions between the Cartel and Red's people. Piper would talk to Polly about her stepping back and then let the Russians use the soap business to transport drugs around the country. If all things went according to plan by the time they got out of prison they would both be very rich women.

There was no going back now.

Piper Chapman was a criminal.

And prison had made her a good one.


End file.
